Disclaimer: As expressed in my first post in this series (see here), I'm struggling with how to approach my own writing in this era of political instability. I don't have an answer, so I'm writing this series to explore possible answers. The arguments expressed aren't necessarily my opinion, but possible opinions on the issue. I'm hoping to spark dialogue to help me find my own answers. Please comment with your own reactions to these opinions. Do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Why? All polite replies are welcome.

Literature should explore timeless themes rather than comment on the current political climate. As a recently retired teacher of literature and creative writing, I can see at least two arguments to support this claim: 1) politically motivated literature encourages bad writing, and 2) politically motivated literature quickly becomes dated and unrelatable.

Politically motivated literature encourages bad writing in the following ways:

1. Characters become caricatures rather than believable people. When writing to make a point, an author is in danger of creating one dimensional characters that exist and act merely to prove the author's point. Such characters are unrelatable and uninteresting. All real people are complex and don't fit easily into neat boxes.
2. Plot is contrived. Rather than the story proceeding naturally, the plot is off forced into unrealistic directions, merely to support the author's point.
3. Writing is didactic. Rather than being invited into a story, readers feel that they are being preached at.

Adding to the problem of bad writing, a story is motivated by current political events quickly becomes dated and loses relevance. Dante's Inferno is a good example of this problem. Dante's hell is full of his personal, political enemies who no longer have any importance. This makes much of the Inferno tedious. To fully understand what Dante is saying, you need to look up who these people were, and when you find out, you still don't really care. By sentencing his personal enemies to creative, eternal torture, Dante looks petty and unlikable, and the piece loses some of the power it otherwise would have.

What do you think? Are these valid reasons to avoid allowing the current political climate to influence your writing? Why or why not?